/ world today news/ The methods of preparing socio-political explosions in Russia do not change. We’ve literally only seen one example. And it is possible that the scheme will repeat itself. How can you resist something like that?
Political scientist Artur Ataev believes that the protests in Makhachkala may be a manifestation of internal ethnic conflicts in Dagestan. Radical groups that previously operated behind closed doors are taking advantage of the situation in the Middle East to “devirtualize.”
According to him, the attack on the airport was not “just a protest”. This is the creation of a new alternative force that will have to destroy itself…
Chronology of events
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the US the main culprit behind the unrest in Makhachkala, as well as many other problems worldwide. According to the president, without much success on the battlefield, the US ruling elites “are trying to weaken Russia from within.”
“You must know and understand where the root of evil is. Where is this spider that is trying to wrap the whole world in its web? The ruling elites of the USA, without achieving success on the battlefield, are trying to weaken Russia from within.” the president said at a meeting about the situation in Dagestan.
The head of state emphasized that the protests were “inspired by social networks”, including from the territory of neighboring Ukraine, and “by the hands of Western intelligence services”.
Washington reacted to Putin’s statement. They claim that the West supposedly has nothing to do with it. White House National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby says it’s all “hate, bigotry and intimidation, pure and simple.”
What really amounts to “hate” and “intimidation in its purest form” are calls to Dagestanis to come to the airport where the flight from Tel Aviv was supposed to land – to “catch Jews”.
They were distributed by the Telegram channel “Morning of Dagestan”, which is sponsored by the fugitive deputy Ilya Ponomarev*, recognized as a foreign agent in Russia.
Then a mob of protesters carrying Palestinian flags stormed the building, destroying everything in their path. They even looked for Jews in the turbine of the plane.
The footage from the Makhachkala airport has become famous and has already given rise to many jokes. But it would be funny if it wasn’t so scary, said the head of Dagestan Sergey Melikov.
“All the participants in this lawlessness with their actions stuck a knife in the back of those who gave their lives for the security of the Motherland: both in 1999, when we stopped international terrorists on the doorstep of Dagestan, and today, when our compatriots are fighting with the Nazis in the Special Military Operation Zone, representing the Republic with dignity,” he said.
According to the general director of the Makhachkala International Airport, Said Ramazanov, there were about a dozen men on board the Tel Aviv-Makhachkala flight, but mostly women with children. And among them was a child in a wheelchair who was on artificial ventilation.
It was possible to avoid casualties largely thanks to the efforts of State Duma deputy from Dagestan Khizri Abakarov, who negotiated with the protesters, Ramazanov noted.
While experts calculate the material damage caused by vandals. According to deputy Abakarov, they will amount to at least 285 million rubles.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a criminal case was opened for mass disorder, more than 150 active participants were identified, 60 of them were detained.
And the worst thing is that last weekend they again tried to drive Dagestanis to the street. Fortunately, this time people did not succumb to provocations.
After the incident in Makhachkala, Israeli authorities urged their citizens to avoid traveling to the North Caucasus. Which comes first in this situation – Russia’s internal problems or external influence?
The host of “First Russian” Yuriy Pronko discussed this issue with political scientist Artur Ataev on the air of the “Tsarigrad. Main” program.
Who is behind the riots in Makhachkala?
Yuriy Pronko: – Artur, do you think there are more internal Russian problems or external influences in what is happening? What is the main thing in this situation?
Artur Ataev: – Dagestan is one of the 46 Russian border territories, which, without exaggeration, has a strategic importance. This region has been declared to one degree or another as an area of strategic interest by thirty countries around the world.
Among them there are neighboring countries (for example, Azerbaijan). Therefore, those destructive factors that exist in the Middle East, Asia Minor and Eastern Europe immediately affect Dagestan. Because they are a very heterogeneous and diverse people.
But it seems to me that it was the internal component of the contradictions in this case that played a decisive role. There was an external factor, of course. But Dagestani society is already in a phase where it is not so uncontrollable, but there are no real forces to influence it.
The frequent change of regional leaders played a negative role here. That’s the first thing. And secondly, the mufti is indeed a very influential structure.
But due to the fact that the mufti now works in fairly stable conditions, the Wahhabi mosques and houses of prayer fade into the background. Although Mufti Akhmad Abdulaev himself cannot cause any complaints.
In Dagestan itself there are a number of unresolved problems of an inter-ethnic nature. This includes Auchovsky District and Khasavyurt as a border area with Chechnya, where conflicts between different national sub-ethnic groups constantly arise.
As Dagestan became a region that went from offline to online mode. A person can live in the next street and communicate with his colleague online, unlike in other regions.
This has become a characteristic feature of Dagestani society. And of course, it was impossible not to take advantage of this…
Virtualization of jihadist structures
– Arthur, am I hearing you correctly? The theme of the conflict in the Middle East was used, right?
– Yes, exactly.
– And precisely from internal contradictions, forces in the region? Because if you call a spade a spade, the conflict between Israel and the Arabs who call themselves Palestinians has been going on for 75 years.
You and I know how many wars there have been. Now the situation is not just tense – it’s war! The real war that is being waged between Israel and Hamas. But wasn’t there the same reaction before? To take over the airport, to riot, to speak, to make statements.
– No, there was not and could not be such a reaction. Because Dagestani society was different. Because, I emphasize, intellectual currents are largely determined not by what the imam says in the mosque, but by what is said in virtual space. It’s a paradox, but a fact.
This process is probably related to the closure of a project like ISIS**. Because the process called virtualization of jihadist radical structures was effectively implemented in Dagestan.
The radical underground from Chechnya, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia was pushed out. There were still some of them in Dagestan who tried to legitimize themselves in such a closed regime.
So they took advantage of the situation in the Middle East. That is, their “devirtualization” has occurred. Online has become offline.
– Why did they disappear? Is there any problem? Why then from the operational agenda…
– This is really a question… When the assassination of Sheikh Said Afandi Chirkawi happened in Chirkei, where a neophyte Russian-speaking Muslim woman committed a terrorist act, there was a colossal mobilization of Dagestani society.
And there was support from the federal elites to counter it. The groups in the social networks “VKontakte”, “Odnoklassniki”, Facebook*** were somehow purged and an alternative agenda was opposed to them. Obviously, these virtual victories played a negative role.
Judging by this action, this “recruitment” has already resumed. Before that they worked door to door. Such adherents of jihadism as Varvara Karaulova were campaigned on social networks by the same virtual recruiters, very individually. Now they are trying to zombify more serious, more widespread social groups.
Young people, relatively speaking, 19 to 30 years old, continue to be used as part of this mass recruitment of radical small jihadist groups.
At the appropriate moment, they are taken to the square or driven to the airport. And then they give you a more serious task of what to do and how to behave. It is a technology of protest in an online environment.
A new alternative force is being created
– Is this a security force fiasco?
– I think this is a fiasco for everyone: the security forces, civil society institutions, and religious structures. You can’t get away with just one diagnosis.
Because the coalition that defeated jihadism and radicalism in the North Caucasus consisted of secular structures, power structures and institutions of civil society.
Illegal armed groups tried to take the place of a non-profit, non-political organization. But they managed to push him out.
But then, due to the emergence of a transnational virtual project to create an escalation in the southern spaces of Russia, they began to unite.
We see that there is a colossal glorification of Shamil Basaev and Ruslan Gelaev. And even Movsar Baraev, the killer who captivated Nord-Ost. It’s a paradox, but a fact.
New myths, new theories and new justifications are born. The younger generation of Dagestanis and Chechens do not remember the destruction of Grozny. They do not remember the numerous refugees – people who fled from the Wahhabis in Khasavyurt and other settlements of Dagestan.
They live in a rainbow world and think that this protest is just a protest. But this is not “just a protest”. It is the creation of a new force, an alternative force that will have to destroy itself.
* Recognized by the Ministry of Justice of Russia as a foreign agent, included by Rosfinmonitoring in the register of extremists and terrorists.
** The terrorist organization is banned in Russia.
*** The social network banned in Russia belongs to the extremist company Meta.
Translation: SM
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